Lady Vixen (72 page)

Nicole
sent her an almost gay look. "We," she said lightly, "are
escaping. Come now, help me! Tie these strips to the leg of that heavy armoire.
This material should be strong enough to hold our weight."

At
Galena's expression of incomprehension, Nicole said hurriedly, "Robert
Saxon is not to be trusted! I'm afraid that he means to compromise me, just as
Edward did. So we must free ourselves."

Silently
Galena helped her, obviously not totally convinced. When she took a look at the
three-story drop below, she balked. "Miss Nicole, I can't do it! I'll
fall, I know I will. It's too far!"

Grimly
Nicole stared at her. She could browbeat the girl, but it would gain her
nothing. If Galena felt she would fall, fall she would, probably wailing in a loud,
carrying voice as she did so.

"Very
well," Nicole said resignedly. "I will do it alone. Give me a few
minutes once I've reached the ground, and then go back down to the kitchen just
as if nothing were wrong. Tell the housekeeper I have fallen asleep and must on
no occasion be awakened. That should gain me an hour or so. By that time I
should have been able to find someone to carry a message to Lord Saxon."

"Miss
Nicole, you wouldn't go off and leave me!"

"Galena,
I have no choice!" Nicole retorted exasperatedly. "Now do as I tell
you. You'll be safe. Just remember to act as if you know nothing, and when my
disappearance is discovered be as surprised as everyone else. Understand?"

Her
eyes the size of saucers, Galena nodded her head slowly. "But, Miss
Nicole," she cried protestingly, "you have no pelisse, no cloak. You
are sure to catch an inflammation of the lung."

Throwing
her a fierce glare, Nicole said harshly, "If I thought walking naked down
the middle of Brighton on Christmas Day would save me from Robert Saxon, I
would do it! Now stop this nonsense and help me!"

The
window opened easily, and without hesitation Nicole slid across the sill, her
hands tightly grasping the swath of material. She hung there a moment, and then
she swiftly lowered her body to the ground. It took her but a few minutes. The
countless times she had climbed like a cat in the shrouds of
La Belle Garce
came
to her aid now. Her heart was thumping thunderously, partly from exertion and
partly from elation, as she stood on the ground beneath the window. Galena's
face appeared, and after giving her a cheerful wave, Nicole lifted her skirts
in her hands and sprinted down toward the sea, planning to work her way back up
to the road farther down the beach. Rottingdean, she knew, lay not more than
three miles to the east of Robert's house, and within the hour she should reach
it. There she would find someone to take a message to Lord Saxon.

Traveling
down the beach, she idly stared at the ocean and watched without too much
interest the tall masted ship anchored some distance out to sea. She smiled to
herself again. Oh, for the carefree days of
La Belle Garce!
Those early
days before she had become so aware of Christopher as a man, before she and
Allen had thought of their mad plans. And with a guilty start she realized that
she hadn't thought of Allen in weeks, months. Christopher had said he would be
freed. Perhaps at this very moment, Allen might be free, Nicole mused, wanting
desperately to believe it.

She
felt curiously carefree as she walked on the moonlit sand, the breeze tangling
the sable-fire hair. But reality pressed on her, and she turned her back on the
pounding surf and began to climb up the rocky sloping cliffs that led up to the
road.

Increasingly
aware of the chill bite of the air, and trying to ignore it, she focused her
thoughts on the warm fire that would be waiting for her when she at last
returned home to Kings Road. How glad she would be to be there once again! The
explanations, though, she decided gloomily, would be dreadful, for how was she
to tell Lord Saxon that his own son had played a part in tonight's ugly and
dishonorable occurrence.

It
wasn't a pleasant prospect, nor was the prospect of meeting Christopher's
contemptuous, derisive eyes. He would think the worst, she thought half
angrily, and half miserably.

***

At
first
neither Simon or Christopher had thought a great deal about Twickham's
assessment of the situation. It seemed reasonable enough, although a bit erratic,
on Robert's part to leave Kings Road under the circumstances simply because he
wished to give Nicole and Edward Markham a ride home in his gig. And the more
he thought about it, the more it bothered Christopher. Four in Robert's gig? Or
after taking Galena back with him, did Robert assume Nicole would order the
girl to walk all the way home again from the park? It seemed unlikely.

By
seven o'clock that evening both he and Simon were more than just a little
worried. They had said nothing to the ladies, not wishing to alarm them, and
when Regina had asked after Nicole, Simon had muttered somewhat hastily,
"Ah, forgot to tell you—I gave my permission for her to dine at Unton's
place tonight. You know how smitten Unton's heir is with her and I saw no harm
in it. After all, you were just there last night yourself, so you can't say you
disapprove."

"Well,
no, I don't disapprove, it's just that it's unlike Nicole to go off like that.
Did she say how late she would be?"

Simon
hesitated and Christopher broke in smoothly, "Rather late, I suspect.
There was some talk of a mid- night charade, because of the full moon. I
wouldn't worry about her; Unton and his son will see to her."

Simon
shot him a thankful look and the subject was dropped—dropped but not forgotten
by either of the gentlemen as they sat alone in Simon's study a few minutes
later. Dinner was to be served at eight, and Christopher, after a quick glance
at his pocket watch, said, "I'm going to take a ride by the park and then
go to Markham's lodgings. Perhaps he is there and can tell us something."
He stood up, started toward the door, and then stopped. Revolving slowly to
face his grandfather, he added determinedly, "I am also going to find out
if Robert is at home—so don't expect me back for dinner."

"Christopher!
Do you think that it is wise—considering how he feels about you?"

The
gold eyes were hard, the firm mouth taut as Christopher retorted exasperatedly,
"I am not afraid of Robert! He obviously is the one who knows precisely
what Galena said, and probably the only one who can tell us what happened and
where Nicole is. It's not more than an hour's ride out to his place, so I
should be back before ten o'clock. Don't worry—I have been taking care of
myself a long time."

Higgins,
when informed of the plan, disliked it even more. "I'm telling you you're
mad! Nick can take care of herself. I'm not saying that if we didn't have that
ship to catch I wouldn't be in favor of trying to find out what happened too.
But damnit, man, we have to sail on the midnight tide! You shouldn't be
gallivanting over the countryside searching for a tough little varmit like her!
She is probably perfectly safe."

His
face shuttered, Christopher replied levelly, "Shut up, Higgins, and do as
you're told! Do you have everything packed?"

Knowing
there was no swaying him when he was in one of these damn-all moods, the older
man answered sourly, "Yes. There wasn't all that much, after all."

"Very
well then. You will come with me. Robert's place is not but a mile or so from
the rendezvous point. I'll go ahead and take you . . . and the memorandum
there."

Staring
fixedly at the dark features, Higgins asked slowly, "Are you telling me
that you're not leaving? That you're staying and I am to return alone?"

"No!"
Christopher bit out angrily. "I will be there, but I may have to cut it
fine and if—" he stopped, then continued harshly, "if for some reason
I am delayed, you and the memorandum will still reach New Orleans safely."

There
was no moving him, though Higgins tried his best during the time it took them
to survey the closed and deserted park, Edward's darkened and empty lodgings,
and especially during the long ride out to Robert's house. The impassioned
exhortations, the curses and insults that Higgins hurled at him left Higgins
exhausted and Christopher completely unmoved.

At
Robert's house Christopher discovered from the servant who answered the door
that Master Robert was not at home at present, but was expected for a late
dinner. Christopher left no message and merely tossed off some remark to the
effect that he had called for no important reason and would see Robert
tomorrow. Casually he added that there was no need to tell Robert that he had
called. The servant bowed politely, and a moment later Christopher and Higgins
were on their way to the little cottage they had stayed in while Christopher
had recovered from his wound.

The
parting between the two men was brief. After depositing Higgins at the cottage,
Christopher merely said, "I will be back by midnight. If I am not—do not
wait for me. See that the memorandum is delivered to Jason Savage the instant
you reach New Orleans." At Higgins's gloomy, unhappy expression he said
lightly, "Higgins, I'll make it, but if I don't—I'll do as I've already
told my grandfather and head for France. I'll be there in time for the
battle—that I promise you."

He
made the ride back to Kings Road in good time, his thoughts unwillingly on
Nicole. She was probably sitting at home warm by the fire, he decided angrily,
as he reached the outskirts of Brighton. And if she is, she had better have a
damn good reason for disappearing like this, he thought furiously.

Simon
pounced on him the instant he entered the house, dispelling any notion that
Nicole had returned in his absence. "Well, what did you find out?"

Stripping
off his driving gloves and warming his hands before the fire in the study,
Christopher admitted, "Nothing. The park was deserted, Markham not at
home, but Robert is expected home for a late dinner."

Taking
a deep breath, his jaw tight, Christopher looked over at his grandfather.
"I still have to leave tonight, you know. Nicole's disappearance doesn't
change anything." Then turning his back away, he snarled, "I could
damn well strangle her for this! If I didn't know better I'd swear the little
devil had done it on purpose." A harsh laugh broke from him. "What am
I saying? Hell, I don't know better!"

Simon
regarded him sharply. "It seems," he said calmly, "that you are
taking this much too personally. I see no reason to change your plans—Nicole
will be found and there is probably a logical explanation for her absence.
Whether you are here or not makes little difference."

Christopher
let out his breath in a rush. "You're right, and if I am to depart, I
shall have to do it before the hour grows much later. Are the ladies still up?
If they are I had better bid them good evening—it's the least I can do,
considering they don't know it is really goodbye."

Simon
nodded and sat alone in his study while Christopher walked to the blue drawing
room and said his good nights to his new stepgrandmother and his great-aunt.
Neither lady suspected he was bidding them good-bye, although Regina did wonder
at the way he gave Letitia a quick hard embrace before leaving the room. But
then she dismissed it—Christopher was given to strange fits and flights; any
young man, she thought resentfully, who would turn his back on the chance to
marry such a charming heiress as Nicole must be a little strange.

Christopher
entered the study slowly, his face serious and a little drawn, knowing that the
time for the final good-bye had come at last. Simon, seated behind his desk,
also knew that the moment of farewell was upon them, and with an aching,
sorrowful heart he watched as his tall grandson crossed the room to stop before
the desk.

Idly
Christopher's long fingers skimmed the polished surface, and his face bleak he
stared down into the worn features so like his own. "Grandfather," he
began haltingly, "I do not like to leave under these circumstances, but I
must, and within a very few minutes. Higgins is already waiting for me at
Rottingdean and from there we will travel to Dover and then to France."
Inwardly Christopher cursed himself for being such a ready liar and wished that
at least for this moment he could put the lies and half-truths aside. But it
was imperative that Simon believe he was heading for France, and so ruthlessly
he quelled his conscience. The lie behind him, he was able to say more easily,
"I shall miss you," adding with a quick, endearing grin, "and my
new grandmother too!" More seriously he continued, "I feel certain
that a peace between England and the United States will be negotiated in Ghent
before many months have passed. I may be back by next summer, and so while I am
saying goodbye now, remember it may only be for a few months."

Simon,
his emotions temporarily well in hand, snapped, "Bah! Don't molly coddle
me! I expect Letty and I shall do very well without you." Not looking at
Christopher, but staring ferociously at the top of his desk, he said casually,
"I've been thinking about it and this is really best. Letty and I are just
married, and it's not good for a man to start marriage cluttered up with a lot
of relatives and such. When you return next summer, Letty and I will be well
settled, and
then
we'll have the time to appreciate your company! You'll
not understand what I mean, never having been married before, but I doubt Letty
and I will miss you too much during the next several months."